1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cartridge loading apparatus for loading a cartridge, in which an information recording medium is inserted for protection, into a housing of, for example, an information processing apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent information processing devices, a small laser spot is formed on a light-reflecting surface of an information recording medium such as an optical disk or a video disk to form pits corresponding to input information, thereby recording this information. A laser beam focused on the light-reflecting surface is reflected to a photosensor to reproduce desired information.
An information processing apparatus of this type has advantages of high recording density and high fidelity reproduction. When the surface of the information recording medium is scratched or dusty, or is contaminated with fingerprints or other foreign material, however, the optical path of the laser beam is obstructed. As a result, recording and reproduction cannot be properly performed.
A conventional information recording medium such as an optical disk or a video disk must be manually removed from a protective case as a cartridge. An operator must carefully load the medium on a loading section such as a turntable in the information processing apparatus so as to prevent the medium from being damaged. Conventional information recording mediums can therefore be said to be impractical for common use.
Another type of information recording medium cartridge has been proposed to protect the information recording medium. The cartridge, containing the information recording medium, is inserted into the information processing apparatus and then removed, leaving only the medium loaded in the apparatus. In order to withdraw the information recording medium after reproduction, the empty cartridge is inserted into the information processing apparatus so that the information recording medium enters the cartridge, is secured by the cartridge and then removed, together with the cartridge, from the apparatus.
According to this system, the information recording medium is removed from the cartridge in the recording and reproduction modes. If several information recording media are loaded into several different information processing devices, their empty cartridges must be kept on or near the operation desks. When the information recording media are removed from the devices, it is troublesome to have to match specific cartridges with specific media. When the information recording media are held in the cartridges at random, it is quite difficult and inconvenient to locate a desired information recording medium for later use.
An information processing apparatus has been developed to process information stored in or read out from an information recording medium held in a cartridge after inserting the cartridge medium into the apparatus. In the information processing apparatus of this type, the cartridge inserted into a cartridge insertion port is conveyed to a predetermined position and are separated to partially expose the information recording medium.
In the information processing apparatus of this type, a cartridge inserted in a cartridge insertion port must be locked in a predetermined position, part of an information recording medium must be exposed through separated cartridge cases, and the information recording medium must be housed in the locked cartridge cases upon unloading. In addition, in this information processing apparatus, care must be taken that the cartridge is not inserted backwards.